System and method for applying parental control limits from content providers to media content

ABSTRACT

System and Method of filtering and modifying access to media content based on parental control limits are provided. The method for filtering media content includes receiving authentication information for a content provider, authenticating to the content provider, importing parental control limits from the content provider, storing the received parental control limits in a customer profile, and filtering the media content based on the parental control limits to produce a filtered list of the media content. The method for modifying access to media content includes authenticating to a customer profile with a unique customer identifier, retrieving parental control limits from the customer profile, and modifying access to the media content based on the retrieved parental control limits. Changes in the parental control limits at a content provider may be detected and updated in the customer profile.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/567,948, filed Aug. 6, 2012, entitled “SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR APPLYING PARENTAL CONTROL LIMITS FROM CONTENT PROVIDERSTO MEDIA CONTENT”, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/523,257, filed Aug. 12, 2011, entitled “SYSTEM ANDMETHOD FOR APPLYING PARENTAL CONTROL LIMITS FROM CONTENT PROVIDERS TOMEDIA CONTENT”, both of which are incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a system and method for applying parentalcontrol limits from content providers to media content. Moreparticularly, the present invention provides a system and method for theretrieval, aggregation, and application of parental control limits fromcontent providers.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

While the present invention is often described herein with reference toa digital video disc, Blu-Ray disc, and video game distribution system,an application to which the present invention is advantageously suited,it will be readily apparent that the present invention is not limited tothat application and can be employed in article dispensing systems usedto distribute a wide variety of dispensable articles.

The digital video disc (DVD) player has been one of the most successfulconsumer electronics product launches in history. The market for DVDmovie video, Blu-Ray movie video, and video game rentals is enormous andgrowing. Millions of households have acquired DVDs since they wereintroduced in 1997. In the first quarter of 2003 alone, it was estimatedthat well over three million DVD players were shipped to U.S. retailers.

In 2003, brick-and-mortar stores dominated the movie video and videogame rental landscape in the U.S. Statistics showed that twobrick-and-mortar companies controlled nearly sixty-five percent of thehome video rental business. One element repeatedly cited for success ofcertain brick- and mortar store video rental franchises was perceivedhigh availability of new video releases. Consumers want entertainment ondemand, and through stocking multiple units of each new release,successful brick-and-mortar companies meet this consumer demand.

The foregoing indicates that there is a significant market potential foraligning regular routines of consumers (e.g., shopping, getting coffeeor gas or going to a convenience store) with their DVD, Blu-Ray, andvideo game rental activities.

One improved article dispensing machine is disclosed in commonly ownedU.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609, which is herein incorporated by reference inits entirety. The invention of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and thepresent invention can function as an article dispensing machine-baseddistribution system that will typically have multiple units of each newrelease per article dispensing machine. The dispensing machines of theU.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the present invention can stock up to twothousand DVDs, Blu-Ray, video games, or other discs (movies, games orother entertainment content), making the system competitive withexisting brick-and-mortar video rental superstores.

The dispensing machine and system of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and thepresent invention distinguishes itself from such stores by offeringmajor benefits not conventionally offered by such stores, includingadditional cross-marketing programs (e.g., promotional rentals for acertain amount of dollars spent at the retail location) and convenience(e.g., open always).

The dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the presentinvention yields a competitive advantage in the DVD, Blu-Ray disc, andvideo game rental marketplace by offering consumerscross-marketing/promotional programs, convenience of selection (e.g.,computer-based searches for movies and recommendations based on consumerprofiles), and potentially extended hours. The present invention employsa more cost-effective, convenient platform than brick-and-mortar stores.In addition, with the present invention, dispensing machines can besituated in retail locations having high foot traffic, such as at apopular grocery store, restaurant, drug store, and/or other popularretail location.

The dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the presentinvention can be operated at a substantial savings over the costsassociated with traditional brick-and-mortar video rental stores. Forexample, the present invention does not require hourly employees manningthe dispensing machines or restocking them with inventories, due to theability of the article transport storage units to be delivered to/pickedup from retail locations by third-party delivery services, such astraditional or contracted courier services.

Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, the dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat.No. 7,234,609 and the present invention does not require an on-sitestore manager because all operational decisions can be made at acentralized location by a management team officed remote from the retaillocations. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, the dispensing machine of theU.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the present invention does not requiresignificant physical space. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, thedispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the presentinvention has low operating costs because no heating or air conditioningis required for the dispensing machines and they consume a relativelylow level of electrical energy. In addition, the dispensing machine ofthe U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 has low maintenance costs and downtime.

The dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the presentinvention addresses the shortcomings of traditional brick-and-mortarstores in a convenient and cost-effective delivery vehicle having theadded bonus of serving as an effective promotional platform that drivesincremental sales to retail locations. In addition, the dispensingmachine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the present inventionovercomes these disadvantages by at least offering more new releases andolder selections for any given time period, and lower cost per viewingwith significantly more convenience than Internet-based and pay-per-viewservices.

The dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the presentinvention is a fully automated, integrated DVD, Blu-Ray, and video gamerental and/or purchase systems. It preferably incorporates robust,secure, scalable software that provides a fully personalized userexperience and real-time feedback to retail locations and advertisers,scalable hardware that leverages existing technologies such as touchscreen, focused audio speakers and video monitors, technology utilizingthe Internet through a system website or mobile/consumer electronicsdevice application, and an article transport storage unit thatfacilitates the exchange of new discs for old discs in each machine withvirtually no need for human intervention. These technologies and othersfill long-felt needs in the art and give advantages over conventionalvideo distribution options. The dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No.7,234,609 and the present invention functions as much as a promotionalplatform as it does a rental kiosk.

By utilizing the dispensing machines and the fully-interactive,real-time, linked Internet website or mobile/consumer electronics deviceapplications, consumers can rent one or more DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, videogames, or other entertainment content directly from dispensing machinesas well as indirectly by making a rental reservation through the websiteor application for later pickup at a conveniently located machine. Thesedispensing machines are preferably networked with each other, with theinventory control and/or supply office and with the system website orapplication by phone-line, DSL, wireless network, or other Internetconnection at each retail location. Through this linked network, therental experience for each consumer can be customized based on a profilefor each consumer, such as via personalized home pages and rentalscreens.

Existing media content parental control systems allow a user to setrestrictions and limits on viewing of media content on a per-devicebasis. However, the user must enter the desired parental control limitsseparately on each electronic device. For example, a parent can setparental control limits on a cable television set-top box but mustseparately set parental control limits on an account for a digital mediacontent provider. Furthermore, existing media content parental controlsystems utilize content ratings or other restrictions that are specificto the type of media content provided by the content provider, such as aMotion Picture Association of America (MPAA) film content rating, a TVParental Guidelines television content rating, or an EntertainmentSoftware Rating Board (ESRB) video game content rating. The user maybecome frustrated in having to set the parental control limits onmultiple electronic devices and/or on a website, even if the parentalcontrol limits involve the same types of settings.

The present invention allows for filtering of media content based onparental control limits stored in a customer profile. A list of themedia content may be filtered based on the parental control limits. Thepresent invention also allows for modification of access to mediacontent based on the parental control limits. Access to the mediacontent may also be modified based on the parental control limits.Access to the media content may include restricting access to mediaarticles from an article dispensing machine and/or media selections at acontent provider. The present invention overcomes disadvantages ofexisting media content parental control systems by aggregating theparental control limits from multiple content providers in the customerprofile. Moreover, the present invention allows for electronic devices,such as a computer, consumer electronics device, or website interface,to access the aggregated parental control limits in the customer profileso that the parental control limits do not have to be re-entered on eachof the electronic devices. Other features and advantages are provided bythe following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a system for communicating and processinginformation in a network of article dispensing machines and dispensingapparatus.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an article dispensing machineconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a high-level block diagram illustrating a networked mediacontent system and connections including an article dispensing machine,a system backend, a content provider backend, and an A/V displayinterface.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the system backend.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating connections between the systembackend and the content provider backend.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating connections between the systembackend, the content provider backend, and the A/V display interface.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating operations for importing parentalcontrol limits into a customer profile.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating operations for utilizing the parentalcontrol limits in the customer profile to filter the media content.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating operations for modifying access tomedia content based on parental control limits in a customer profile.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating operations for utilizing theparental control limits in the customer profile to modify access to themedia content.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating operations for determiningavailability of a media article.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating operations for determiningavailability of a media selection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understandingthat the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification ofthe principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broadaspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

FIGS. 1-2 illustrate an article dispensing machine designated 230.Article dispensing machine 230 is one of a plurality of articledispensing machines included within an article distribution systemhaving a plurality of such machines situated at a plurality of retaillocations. The article dispensing machines of a particular articledistribution system preferably form a network. As such, those machinesare preferably in electrical communication with each other and with acentral server or central controller.

As shown in FIG. 1, each article dispensing machine 230 includes adispensing machine processor 300, also referred to herein as a vendingcontroller, which is connected to a first sensor 270 and a second sensor370, a first motor 251 and a second motor 262 and a user interfacecontrol system 234, collectively referred to as “the peripheraldevices.” The processor is capable of executing various programs toprovide input to and/or receive outputs from the peripheral devices.Suitable processors for such use are known to those of skill in the art.In addition, the processor is operably connected to at least one memorystorage device 281, such as a hard-drive or flash-drive or othersuitable memory storage device.

Article dispensing machine memory storage device 281 can include any oneor a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory(RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)) and nonvolatile memory elements(e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, etc.). Moreover, article dispensingmachine memory storage device 281 may incorporate electronic, magnetic,optical, and/or other types of storage media. Article dispensing machinememory storage device 281 can have a distributed architecture wherevarious components are situated remote from one another, but are stillaccessed by processor. Article dispensing machine memory storage deviceincludes an article dispensing machine database 282.

The article dispensing machines 230 preferably comprise a network ofmachines in communication with one another. As shown in FIG. 1, in thepreferred configuration, the article dispensing machines 230 arenetworked with one another via a central server or central controller302 in a hub-and-spoke system. However, optionally, the articledispensing machines may be connected and communicate directly with oneanother, and/or subsets of article dispensing machines may communicatewith one another directly as well as with the central server 302.

Generally, in terms of hardware architecture, the central server 302 andthe content provider backend 308 shown in FIG. 3 include a centralprocessor and/or controller, central memory, and one or more inputand/or output (I/O) devices (or peripherals) that are communicativelycoupled via a local interface. The architecture of the central server302 is set forth in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609, thecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Numerousvariations of the architecture of the central server 302 and the contentprovider backend 308 would be understood by one of skill in the art andare encompassed within the scope of the present invention.

The processor/controller is a hardware device for executing software,particularly software stored in memory. The processor can be any custommade or commercially available processor, a central processing unit(CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated withthe server 302, a semiconductor based microprocessor (in the form of amicrochip or chip set), a macroprocessor, or generally any device forexecuting software instructions. Examples of suitable commerciallyavailable microprocessors are as follows: a PA-RISC seriesmicroprocessor from Hewlett-Packard Company, an 80x86 or Pentium seriesmicroprocessor from Intel Corporation, a PowerPC microprocessor fromIBM, a Sparc microprocessor from Sun Microsystems, Inc., or a 68xxxseries microprocessor from Motorola Corporation. The processor may alsorepresent a distributed processing architecture such as, but not limitedto, SQL, Smalltalk, APL, KLisp, Snobol, Developer 200, MUMPS/Magic.

The software in memory may include one or more separate programs. Theseparate programs comprise ordered listings of executable instructionsfor implementing logical functions. The software in memory includes asuitable operating system (O/S). A non-exhaustive list of examples ofsuitable commercially available operating systems is as follows: (a) aWindows operating system available from Microsoft Corporation; (b) aNetware operating system available from Novell, Inc.; (c) a Macintoshoperating system available from Apple Inc.; (d) a UNIX operating system,which is available for purchase from many vendors, such as theHewlett-Packard Company, Sun Microsystems, Inc., and AT&T Corporation;(e) a LINUX operating system, which is freeware that is readilyavailable on the Internet; (f) a run time Vxworks operating system fromWindRiver Systems, Inc.; or (g) an appliance-based operating system,such as that implemented in handheld computers, smartphones, or personaldigital assistants (PDAs) (e.g., PalmOS available from Palm Computing,Inc., Windows CE or Windows Phone available from Microsoft Corporation,iOS available from Apple Inc, Android available from Google Inc.,BlackBerry OS available from Research in Motion Limited, Symbianavailable from Nokia Corp.). The operating system essentially controlsthe execution of other computer programs and provides scheduling,input-output control, file and data management, memory management, andcommunication control and related services.

Steps and/or elements, and/or portions thereof of the present inventionmay be implemented using a source program, executable program (objectcode), script, or any other entity comprising a set of instructions tobe performed. When a source program, the program needs to be translatedvia a compiler, assembler, interpreter, or the like, which may or maynot be included within the memory, so as to operate properly inconnection with the operating system (O/S). Furthermore, the softwareembodying the present invention can be written as (a) an object orientedprogramming language, which has classes of data and methods, or (b) aprocedural programming language, which has routines, subroutines, and/orfunctions, for example but not limited to, C, C++, Pascal, Basic,Fortran, Cobol, Perl, Java, Ada, and Lua.

When article dispensing machine 230 is in operation, the articledispensing machine processor is configured to execute software storedwithin article dispensing machine memory, to communicate data to andfrom the dispensing machine memory, and to generally control operationsof article dispensing machine pursuant to the software. The softwareaspects of the present invention and the O/S, in whole or in part, buttypically the latter, are read by processor, perhaps buffered within theprocessor, and then executed.

When the present invention or aspects thereof are implemented insoftware, it should be noted that the software can be stored on anycomputer readable medium for use by or in connection with any computerrelated system or method. In the context of this document, a computerreadable medium is an electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physicaldevice or means that can contain or store a computer program for use byor in connection with a computer related system or method. The presentinvention can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by orin connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, ordevice, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, orother system that can fetch the instructions from the instructionexecution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. Inthe context of this document, a “computer-readable medium” can be anymeans that can store, communicate, propagate, or transport the programfor use by or in connection with the instruction execution system,apparatus, or device. The computer readable medium can be for example,but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic,infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagationmedium. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of thecomputer-readable medium would include the following: an electricalconnection (electronic) having one or more wires, a portable computerdiskette (magnetic), a random access memory (RAM) (electronic), aread-only memory (ROM) (electronic), an erasable programmable read-onlymemory (EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory) (electronic), an optical fiber(optical), and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM)(optical). Note that the computer-readable medium could even be paper oranother suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as theprogram can be electronically captured, via, for instance, opticalscanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted orotherwise processed in a suitable manner if necessary, and then storedin a computer memory.

For communication with the central server 302, article dispensingmachine 230 is equipped with network communication equipment andcircuitry. In a preferred embodiment, the network communicationequipment includes a network card such as an Ethernet card. In apreferred network environment, each of the plurality of articledispensing machines 230 on the network is configured to use the TCP/IPprotocol to communicate via the network 301. It will be understood,however, that a variety of network protocols could also be employed,such as IPX/SPX, Netware, PPP and others. It will also be understoodthat while a preferred embodiment of the present invention is forarticle dispensing machine 230 to have a “broadband” connection to thenetwork 301, the principles of the present invention are alsopracticable with a dialup connection using a standard modem. Wirelessnetwork connections are also contemplated, such as wireless Ethernet,satellite, infrared, radio frequency, Bluetooth, near fieldcommunication, and cellular networks.

The central controller 302 communicates with the article dispensingmachine controllers 300 via the network 301. The central controller 302is preferably located at a central station or office that is remote fromthe plurality of article dispensing machines 230. The central controller302 can operate as the server for communicating over the network 301between the plurality of article dispensing machines 230. The centralcontroller 302 receives communications and information from the articledispensing machines 230, and also transmits communications andinformation to the machines 230. For example, when a rental transactionis performed at the article dispensing machine 230, transaction datasuch as the rented title is then transmitted from the machine 230 to thecentral controller 302 via the network 301. It will be understood thatcentral servers in general, such as the central controller 302, areoften distributed. A plurality of central servers/controllers 302 mayoptionally be arranged in “load balanced” architecture to improve thespeed and efficiency of the network. To accomplish the implementation ofmultiple controllers 302, the controllers 302 may be in communicationwith a router/distributor 303.

The central controller 302 is also in communication with a centraldatabase 304. The central database 304 stores information regarding thetransaction network. For example, the central database 304 stores dataregarding the vending inventory at each of the plurality of articledispensing machines 230. The central database 304 also stores salesinformation regarding the sales quantities of the vending merchandisestored in the machines 230. For example, the central database 304 storesinformation regarding the sales totals for each title and for eachmachine 230 vending location. Central database 304 also stores userinformation and rental transaction information, such as user IDs, thedate on which discs are due to be returned, the date on which discs wererented from the machines 230 and a list of valid coupon codes andrestrictions associated with those codes. In certain embodiments,central database 304 also may be configured to store user PINs. Some ofthis information is also preferably stored in article dispensing machinedatabase 282.

Central database 304 and databases in the content provider backend 308,such as the content provider customer profile database 502 and otherdatabases, are preferably relational databases, although other types ofdatabase architectures may be used without departing from the principlesof the present invention. For example, the databases 304 and 502 may bea SQL database, an Access database or an Oracle database, and in anysuch embodiment have the functionality stored herein. Central database304 is also preferably capable of being shared, as illustrated, betweena plurality of central controllers 302 and its information is alsopreferably capable of being transmitted via network 301. It will beunderstood that a variety of methods exist for serving the informationstored in central database 304 and database 502. In one embodiment, .netand Microsoft Reporting Services are employed, however, othertechnologies such as ODBC, MySQL, CFML and the like may be used.

The central controller 302, central database 304, and components of thecontent provider backend 308 are also accessible by an electronic device306, which may include a personal computer 102, mobile device 104 (e.g.,smartphone, personal digital assistant, etc.), tablet computer 106,video game console 108, television 110, and Blu-Ray player 112. Theelectronic device 306 may be in direct or indirect communication withthe central controller 302, central database 304, and/or the contentprovider backend 308 through a wired and/or wireless network connection,such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, cellular (3G, 4G, etc.), or other type ofconnection. As a personal computer 102, the electronic device 306 willbe understood as comprising hardware and software consistent withmarketable personal and laptop computers, such as a display monitor, akeyboard, and a microprocessor. The electronic device 306 may alsocomprise Internet browser software such as Firefox, Internet Explorer,Chrome, or Safari. Using the browser software, a user of the electronicdevice 306 can access a web interface through the central controller302. An application may also execute on the electronic device 306 thataccesses the central controller 302. To that end, central controller 302preferably comprises web server software such as IIS or Apache. It willbe understood that a variety of web server software and web browsersoftware exists to implement the principles of the present inventionwithout departing therefrom. Through the web browser software orapplication, the electronic device 306 communicates with the centralcontroller 302 and allows the user to login to a central commandfunctionality of the central controller 302 and to view and modify datastored in the central database 304. The browser interface or applicationalso allows the user to perform certain system functions, which willaffect the inventory and behavior of the article dispensing machines230. The electronic device 306 may communicate with the centralcontroller 302, central database 304, components of the system backend307, and components of the content provider backend 308 using rules andspecifications of an application programming interface (API).

In a preferred embodiment, a financial server 305 is also incommunication with the network 301. It will be understood that a varietyof financial services exist for processing financial information via theInternet and other networks 301. Those services allow for the processingof credit card and debit card information, so that users of the servicesdo not have to interface directly with credit and debit card companies.In FIG. 1, the financial server 305 is illustrated as a single server,although the financial server 305 may comprise an entire sub-network offinancial servers 305 responsible for processing financial information.

As shown in FIG. 2, article dispensing machine 230 includes a machinehousing 232 with front, rear, top, bottom and side panels. The machinehousing 232 is preferably a combination molded fiberglass and sheetmetal cabinet. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe housing can be constructed from a variety of other suitablematerials and with a variety of other suitable manufacturing techniques.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 2, a user interface portion 234 of housing232 includes a card reader 240, a keypad and/or touch screen 242 and anarticle transfer opening 244. The card reader 240 is preferably designedin known fashion to read magnetically encoded membership and/orcredit/debit cards for authorizing the distribution of articles ofinventory through the article transfer opening 244. Keypad and/or touchscreen 242 permits consumers and/or inventory stocking personnel tocommunicate with the dispensing machine 230 and/or a central officelinked in electrical communication with the dispensing machine. Keypadand/or touch screen 242 also permits consumers and/or inventory stockingpersonnel to enter appropriate commands directed to carrying outspecific machine tasks. It will be appreciated that the optional touchscreen includes a monitor made with known technologies making it capableof being utilized as a user interface for entry of commands designed tocarry out machine tasks. The touch screen 242 may also be capable ofdisplaying a QR (Quick Response) code to a customer. The customer mayread the QR code with a camera on a mobile device or with a dedicated QRcode reader. The QR code can represent a universal resource locator(URL) to access a digital media selection, for example.

Furthermore, it will be appreciated that additional user interfaceportions having additional or even identical user interface componentscould be incorporated within article dispensing machine 230. Forexample, these components could be incorporated on other panels of thehousing 232 of machine 230 so that the machine can be usedsimultaneously by multiple consumers, translating into more efficientdistribution of articles in high traffic areas. Dispensing machine 230also preferably includes speaker units. Known audio technology may beincorporated within dispensing machine 230 to broadcast focused audiodirected to relatively small (e.g., three square feet) locations infront of the machines from speaker units and/or in other designatedlocations at a retail site.

FIG. 3 illustrates a networked media content system 310 including anarticle dispensing machine 230, a system backend 307, a content providerbackend 308, and an audio/visual (A/V) display interface 309. Thenetworked media content system 310 provides for a variety of processesinvolving management, manipulation, searching, presentation, andnotification related to digital media content and vendible physicalmedia articles, including processes related to the present invention.The networked media content system 310 allows for direct and indirectcommunication between the components in the networked media contentsystem 310 via one or more networks. The components in the networkedmedia content system 310 may be operated by one or more entities. In oneembodiment, the article dispensing machine(s) 230 and the system backend307 are operated by a first entity, such as the operator of the articledispensing machines, while the content provider backend 308 and the A/Vdisplay interface 309 are operated by a second entity, such as a contentprovider. In another embodiment, all of the components shown in thenetworked media content system 310 of FIG. 3 are operated by the sameentity. The physical media article may include at least a DVD, Blu-Raydisc, video game disc, or other media article including those that areout-of-stock or otherwise unavailable for rental. The digital mediaselections may include streaming video content, video-on-demand content,downloadable video content, streaming video games, downloadable videogames, or other digital media. Streaming or downloadable video games mayinclude content related to video games, such as expansion packs andadd-on packs. Although FIG. 3 shows a single content provider backend308 and a single A/V display interface 309, it is contemplated that morethan one content provider backend and/or A/V display interfaces may bein communication with the system backend 307.

The system backend 307 includes components that primarily communicateinformation, such as transaction and inventory data, to and from thearticle dispensing machines 230. Components in the system backend 307also communicate information to and from the content provider backend308 and the A/V display interface 309. The system backend 307 isdetailed below with reference to FIG. 4. The content provider backend308 includes components that primarily communicate information to andfrom the A/V display interface 309. Components in the content providerbackend 308 also communicate information to and from the system backend307, as detailed further below. Data communicated between the articledispensing machines 230, the system backend 307, the content providerbackend 308, and/or the A/V display interface 309 may utilize the XML(Extensible Markup Language) format. The electronic device 306 and theA/V display interface 309 may communicate with the system backend 307and/or the content provider backend 308 using rules and specificationsof an application programming interface (API).

The A/V display interface 309 can be a set-top box, a module of aninternet-ready television, a Blu-Ray player with internetconnectability, a software application executing on a mobile device,cable television converter box, satellite television set-top box, IPTV(Internet Protocol television) set-top box (including AT&T U-Verse),digital video recorder, tablet computer, video game console (includingMicrosoft Xbox family, Sony PlayStation family, Nintendo Wii, andsimilar devices), handheld gaming device (including Sony PlayStationPortable, Nintendo DS, and similar devices), laptop computer, desktopcomputer, streaming media box (including Apple TV, Google TV, Roku,Boxee, and similar devices), or any other device capable of receivingand displaying streaming, on-demand, and/or downloadable electronicmedia from a content provider. Moreover, applications may be installedand executed on the A/V display interface 309 that communicate with thesystem backend 307 and/or the content provider backend 308 to providemedia content and other information to a user of the A/V displayinterface 309.

The article dispensing machines 230 can communicate with the systembackend 307, including the central server and controller 302, vianetwork communication equipment and circuitry, as detailed above.Furthermore, the system backend 307 can communicate with the contentprovider backend 308 and the A/V display interface 309 via the same ordifferent network communication equipment and circuitry. In particular,the system backend 307 can directly communicate with the contentprovider backend 308 and the A/V display interface 309, or in oneembodiment, the system backend 307 can communicate with the A/V displayinterface 309 through the content provider backend 308. It will also beunderstood that while a preferred embodiment of the present invention isfor the components of the system 310 to have a “broadband” connectionwith one another, the principles of the present invention are alsopracticable with a dialup connection using a standard modem. Wirelessnetwork connections are also contemplated, such as wireless Ethernet,satellite, infrared, radio frequency, Bluetooth, near fieldcommunication, and cellular networks.

Each of the article dispensing machines 230 may operate withoutrequiring continuous connectivity and communication with the centralcontroller 302. In one embodiment, the central controller 302 onlytransmits data in response to communication from an article dispensingmachine 230. For example, an article dispensing machine 230 may attemptto communicate with the central controller 302 following completion ofone or more rental transactions or one or more media article returntransactions. In another embodiment, the article dispensing machine 230continues normal operations and transactions even if communication isinterrupted or cannot be established with the central controller 302. Inthese cases, transaction data can be stored locally in the articledispensing machine 230, such as in the article dispensing machine memorystorage device 281, until a predetermined time interval elapses, when apredetermined number of transactions is reached, or until communicationwith the central controller 302 can be reestablished. Once communicationis established with the central controller 302, financial and inventoryinformation can be uploaded and the appropriate servers and databasescan be updated.

In one embodiment, the article dispensing machine 230 can display onlymedia articles which are physically located at the article dispensingmachine 230. In this way, a customer may browse on the user interface234 only the media articles which are in-stock and available to rent atthat article dispensing machine 230. Typically, the article dispensingmachine 230 possesses media information for the media articles that arecurrently located in the article dispensing machine 230. The mediainformation for a media article includes title, actor, director, studio,publisher, plot synopsis, format, description, parental rating,individualized ratings and reviews, popularity, article type, runningtime, genre, cover artwork, or other information. The article dispensingmachine 230 can also store in memory the media information forrecently-rented media articles that are no longer physically stored inthe article dispensing machine 230. The article dispensing machine 230can communicate with the central controller 302 when media informationabout a particular media article is needed. For example, when aparticular media article is returned to an article dispensing machine230 that does not have the corresponding media information for thatparticular media article, the article dispensing machine 230 can querythe central controller 302, metadata database 410, and/or inventorydatabase 412 for the media information. Once the media information isobtained, the article dispensing machine 230 may display that particularmedia article on the user interface 234 as in-stock and available torent.

In another embodiment, the article dispensing machine 230 can displaymedia articles that are both physically located and not physicallylocated at the article dispensing machine 230. In this embodiment, mediaarticles which are both available and unavailable to rent can bedisplayed. A media article may be unavailable to rent if it is notin-stock or is in-stock but has been reserved for rental. In oneexample, the entire catalog of media articles stored in the inventorydatabase 412 can be displayed on the article dispensing machine 230. Inanother example, a subset of the entire catalog of media articles can bedisplayed on the article dispensing machine 230. The subset of mediaarticles that can be displayed on the article dispensing machine 230 maybe determined, for example, based on geographic location, retaileragreements, contractual obligations, customer rental habits, and othercriteria. The media articles that can be displayed on the articledispensing machine 230 may include recently-rented media articles thatare no longer physically stored in the article dispensing machine 230 ormedia articles that have never been physically in the article dispensingmachine 230. For example, media articles that have never been physicallyin the article dispensing machine 230 may be displayed because thosemedia articles may be available at a nearby article dispensing machine.In this case, those media articles may be displayed to the customer sothat the customer has an option to obtain those media articles from thenearby article dispensing machine 230. In this embodiment, if a customerattempts to rent a media article that is out-of-stock, reserved foranother customer, or otherwise cannot be vended at the particulararticle dispensing machine 230, then that media article can be deemed anunavailable media article. Although a physical unavailable media articlecannot be rented from the particular article dispensing machine 230, adigital alternative media selection may be available and substituted forthe unavailable media article.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the system backend 307 andconnections to and from the system backend 307 to the article dispensingmachines 230, the content provider backend 308, and the A/V displayinterface 309. The system backend 307 includes components that provideand receive data to and from the article dispensing machines 230 duringDVD, Blu-Ray disc, and video game rental transactions and othertransactions. Components in the system backend 307 are utilized inrelation to the present invention, as described below. It will beunderstood that components 402, 404, 406, 408, 414, 416, 418, and 420 inthe system backend 307 may be implemented, for example, by the centralcontroller 302 using instructions stored in a memory connected to thecentral controller 302. It will be further understood that the databases404, 410, and 412 may be implemented as part of the central database 304or as separate databases.

The identification and authentication controller 402 can receive aunique customer identifier that a customer provides to the articledispensing machines 230 during a rental transaction. The unique customeridentifier can be a credit or debit card number, a hashed version of acredit or debit card number, or other unique identifier used for paymentand/or identification purposes. In the case of hashing of the credit ordebit card number, the hash function applied to the credit or debit cardnumber is preferably implemented on the article dispensing machines 230and may be, for example, a SHA-256 hashing algorithm. The identificationand authentication controller 402 can validate the payment capability ofa credit or debit card by communicating with the financial server 305.

A customer may be authenticated to multiple customer profiles andaccounts by the identification and authentication controller 402. Theunique customer identifier provided by the customer can authenticate thecustomer to an existing customer profile and account for the articledispensing machines 230. The existing customer profile and account canbe stored and looked up using the unique customer identifier in thecustomer profile database 404 that is connected to the identificationand authentication controller 402. The unique customer identifier canalso link the existing customer account to a content provider customeraccount via a connection from the customer profile database 404 to thecontent provider customer profile database 502 in the content providerbackend 308, as shown in FIG. 5. Zero, one, or more content providercustomer accounts may be linked in the customer profile database 404 tothe existing customer account for the article dispensing machines 230. Acontent provider may include, but is not limited to, a cable televisionoperator, a satellite television service provider, an IPTV (InternetProtocol television) provider, an online gaming and digital mediadelivery service (Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, OnLive, etc.), awebsite (YouTube, Hulu, etc.), a movie studio, a television network, agame publisher, or a retailer (Best Buy, Walmart, etc.). Mediaselections available from a content provider may include videos ondemand, streaming videos, downloadable videos, streaming video games, ordownloadable video games. The media selections may be available throughthe A/V display interface 309 that is in communication with the contentprovider backend 308.

The customer profile database 404 can contain information related tocustomers of the article dispensing machines 230, including name,mailing and billing addresses, email addresses, phone and mobilenumbers, username, password, payment methods, rental history, purchasehistory, preferred article dispensing machines, movie and video gamegenre preferences, customizations, subscriptions, parental controls,linked content provider accounts, content provider subscriptions andentitlements, and other data. A rental transaction can be personalizedusing information from the customer profile database 404 at the articledispensing machines 230 and a website interface 418. For example, onlycertain genres and titles of DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, or video games couldbe shown if a customer sets particular preferences that are then storedin the customer profile database 404. Some of the information stored inthe customer profile database 404 may also be stored in the articledispensing machine database 282. The customer profile database 404 mayinclude a service which facilitates interfacing and communicating with anotification engine 406 and other components of the system backend 307,for example.

The website interface 418 can be interactive and accessible to acustomer using web browser software at an electronic device 306. Thewebsite interface 418 may also include a mobile application or consumerelectronics device application. Rentable media articles may be searched,browsed, and reserved on the website interface 418 for receipt at thearticle dispensing machines 230. The location of and the inventory atarticle dispensing machines 230 can be viewed at the website interface418. Digital media selections from content providers, such as streaming,downloadable, and on-demand media, may also be searched, browsed, andaccessed on the website interface 418. A customer can access theircustomer profile on the website interface 418 for purposes of verifyingand updating their personal information in the customer profile database404. For example, a customer can link an account they have with acontent provider on the website interface 418 by specifying theirusername, password, account number, and/or other identifying informationfor the content provider account. The system backend 307 can utilizeSAML (Security Assertion Markup Language), OAuth (Open Authentication),or other protocols to authenticate the identity of the customer at thecontent provider via a connection from the website interface 418 to thecontent provider identification and authentication controller 506 in thecontent provider backend 308, as shown in FIG. 5. If the identifyinginformation matches the content provider account, the linkage to thecontent provider account can be stored in the customer profile database404.

An inventory database 412 may contain a catalog of physical mediaarticles that may be rented at the article dispensing machines 230 andreserved at the website interface 418 for later receipt at the articledispensing machines 230. A catalog of digital media selections availableat the content provider can be contained in the metadata database 410.Metadata for the media articles and media selections are stored in themetadata database 410, including title, release date, running time,chapter information, technical details (resolution, audio options,languages, etc.), format, peripheral device requirements, number ofplayers, online capability, actors, voice actors, director, studio,publisher, developer, platform, availability of downloadable content,episode information, genre, critic ratings, individualized ratings(reviews, recommendations, likes, etc.), parental ratings (MPAA, ESRB,TV Parental Guidelines, etc.), description, related content, mediaartwork, media stills, and other information.

Physical media articles that may be rented at the article dispensingmachines 230 and digital media selections available at the contentprovider may be synchronized and mapped to one another by matching theirrespective metadata. As seen in FIG. 5, a synchronization and mappingengine 414 connected to the customer profile database 404, the metadatadatabase 410, and the content provider asset management system 504 inthe content provider backend 308 may compare the metadata for the mediaarticles and media selections to determine matches. Metadata in thecontent provider asset management system 504 for media selections can becompared to metadata in the metadata database 410 to perform thematching. For example, a combination of a title, release date, runningtime, and/or actor information can be used to map a media article to acorresponding media selection. In one embodiment, proprietaryidentification codes unique to a media article and a media selection canbe used to map the media article to the corresponding media selection.The proprietary identification codes for the media article and the mediaselection can be stored in the metadata database 410 and the contentprovider asset management system 504, respectively. Such proprietaryidentification codes can be assigned to media articles and mediaselections by third party providers such as Rovi, Baseline, and AMG.

A media selection at a content provider can be placed in the savedprograms queue 604 on the A/V display interface 309, as shown in FIG. 6,by providing the appropriate instructions to the content provider assetmanagement system 504 in the content provider backend 308. Queuing amedia selection may occur, for example, when a customer decides topurchase the digital media selection from the content provider in placeof a physical media article at an article dispensing machine 230.

An inventory database 412 can be connected to the article dispensingmachine 230 and the metadata database 410 to provide informationregarding the availability of media articles in the article dispensingmachines 230. In conjunction with a search engine 416, the inventorydatabase 412 and the metadata database 410 can provide inventory resultsfor media articles and media selections to an A/V display interfaceapplication 602 on an A/V display interface 309, as shown in FIG. 6.Such results may include the availability of physical media articles atthe article dispensing machines 230 as well as digital media selectionsavailable at a content provider. The results may also be provided to thewebsite interface 418 or other websites operated by a content provider,for example. The synchronization and mapping engine 414 can store theinformation from the content provider asset management system 504regarding media selections at the content provider in the metadatadatabase 410. The inventory database 412 can also supply theavailability of media articles in the article dispensing machines 230 tothe website interface 418 or to other portals, such as an application ona mobile device, when queried.

A metadata database watcher 408 can monitor the metadata database 410for changes in metadata related to media articles and media selections.The metadata database watcher 408 can use customer watchlistsubscriptions from a customer profile in the customer profile database404 to determine what changes to monitor. The changes to the metadatacan include inventory availability, content provider availability,release schedules, and other information related to a particular title.The customer watchlist subscriptions can be used by the metadatadatabase watcher 408 to monitor these changes in combination withinformation regarding particular actors, directors, and/or othermetadata. When a change corresponding to a customer watchlistsubscription is found by the metadata database watcher 408, anotification engine 406 can transmit notifications and details of thechange to the customer. The notifications may be sent via email, SMS,mobile application alerts, A/V display interface alerts, or otherelectronic channels.

A customer may also subscribe to be notified about new information andnew media content related to their favorite actors, directors, titles,studios, and/or other parameters using customer notificationsubscriptions. Such information may include information related to liveperformances, television appearances, newspaper and magazine articles,blogs, and other content. A web crawler and data feed 420 can obtainthis information by searching pertinent websites and through use of apublic API connection to update the metadata database 410. The data feedin the web crawler and data feed 420 may include, for example,information that is pushed from an information source or pulled from aninformation source. The customer can subscribe to this information abouttheir favorites at the website interface 418, for example. The metadatadatabase watcher 408 monitoring the metadata database 410 can detectwhen there is a new piece of information about a favorite and transmitthe desired notifications using the notification engine 406.

An embodiment of a process 700 for filtering media content based onparental control limits in a customer profile is shown in FIG. 7. Theprocess 700 can result in the transmission of a filtered list of mediacontent, such as physical media articles and digital media selections,based on one or more parental control limits retrieved from one or morecontent providers. A user may have set parental control limits at acontent provider, and the parental control limits may be stored andaggregated in the customer profile with parental control limits thathave been set at other content providers. The customer profile may bestored in the customer profile database 404.

Parental control limits may include, but are not limited to, atelevision content rating, a film content rating, a video game contentrating, a channel lock, a title restriction, an actor restriction, atime limitation, a time of day limitation, a functionality limitation, apurchase limitation, a do not list restriction, a content descriptionrestriction, and/or a metadata display restriction. In particular, thetelevision parental rating may include the TV Parental Guidelinestelevision content ratings and sub-ratings in the United States (e.g.,TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-Y7-FV, TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14, and TV-MA ratings and L, S,V, and D sub-ratings) and the Canadian TV Classification System contentratings in Canada (e.g., C, C8, G, PG, 14+, 18+, 21+, and E for Englishlanguage programs, and G, 8+, 13+, 16+, 18+, and E for French languageprograms). The film content rating may include the Motion PictureAssociation of America (MPAA) film ratings in the United States (e.g.,G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17) and the Canadian film classification ratingsin Canada (e.g., G, PG, 14A, 18A, R, and A in provinces other thanQuebec, and G, 13+, 16+, and 18+ in Quebec). The video game contentrating may include the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) videogame ratings in the United States, Canada, and Mexico (e.g., EC, E,E10+, T, M, and AO). A channel lock includes prohibiting the viewing ordisplay of a particular channel or network. A title or actor restrictionincludes prohibiting viewing or display of a piece of media content thatmatches part or all of a particular title or actor name, respectively. Atime limitation includes placing a limit on the amount of time thatmedia content can be viewed, while a purchase limitation includesplacing a limit on an amount that can be spent or placing a limit on thenumber of purchases.

A time of day limitation includes prohibiting the listing or viewing ofmedia content based on a day, date, and/or time. A functionalitylimitation includes prohibiting or restricting a particular type offunctionality, e.g., the purchase of a piece of media content, access toa piece of media content, viewing closed captioning, etc. A do not listrestriction includes prohibiting the listing of media content based on aparticular genre, channel, title, actor, studio, publisher, or othermetadata of the media content. A content description restrictionincludes the restricting or prohibiting the listing of a descriptionthat accompanies a piece of media content, based on a keyword(s) set bythe user. A metadata display restriction includes showing alternatewording (e.g., “Adult Content”) in place of showing metadatacorresponding to a piece of media content. Metadata which is blocked mayinclude text (e.g., title, description, etc.), images (e.g.,screenshots), and/or video (e.g., trailers). The parental control limitsmay be implemented individually or in any combination. In addition, theparental control limits may vary based on the associated customerprofile or account. For example, a parent/adult account may have moreless restrictive parental control limits than the parental controllimits in a child account.

At step 702, authentication information may be received at the centralcontroller 302. The authentication information may allow access to anaccount at a content provider that supports the setting of parentalcontrol limits. The account may include a parent/adult account, a childaccount, or any other type of account supported by the content provider.The authentication information may include a username and/or a password,for example. The central controller 302 may authenticate to the contentprovider at step 704, based on the authentication information receivedat step 702. Authentication to the content provider may be through alogin to the website of the content provider, through an applicationprogramming interface (API) associated with the content provider,through a feed from the content provider, or through other methods. Inone embodiment, content providers and the central controller 302 mayhave each have access to a shared database including parental controllimits. The shared database may be part of central database 304 or maybe situated remotely from the central controller 302 and the contentprovider.

The parental control limits that have been set at the content providermay be imported at step 706. A user, such as a parent, may havepreviously set the parental control limits at the content provider. Theparental control limits at the content provider may be specific to thetype of media content provided by the content provider. For example, ifthe content provider is a cable television operator, the parentalcontrol limits may include television content ratings and/or filmcontent ratings. As another example, if the content provider is astreaming or downloadable video game operator, the parental controllimits may include video game content ratings. The imported parentalcontrol limits may be stored at step 708 in the customer profile that isin the customer profile database 404. The parental control limits fromthe content providers may be aggregated together when stored at step708. The aggregation of the parental control limits may be in acanonical data format that is neutral and encompasses parental controllimits applicable for all types of media content. The canonical dataformat may utilize an XML format, for example, so that the parentalcontrol limits are represented in a standardized form.

In some embodiments, the parental control limits may have beenpreviously set by a user at an electronic device 306, such as an Xboxvideo game console, a laptop computer, or a desktop computer. The usermay have set the parental control limits as master settings through theoperating system of the electronic device 306 for access by anyapplications executing on the electronic device 306, for example. Theparental control limits may accordingly be maintained by the electronicdevice 306 in a central location on behalf of the user. At step 706, theparental control limits may be imported by an application executing onthe electronic device 306 from the electronic device 306 and/or theoperating system of the electronic device 306. The application mayimport the parental control limits through an API, for example. Theapplication may store the imported parental control limits at step 708locally and/or in the customer profile. The imported parental controllimits may also be aggregated together when stored at step 708.

At step 710, the media content may be filtered based on the parentalcontrol limits in the customer profile. The customer profile may includemultiple sets of parental control limits from multiple contentproviders, as described above. An embodiment of step 710 in the process700 is shown in FIG. 8. At step 802, parental control limits can beretrieved from the customer profile. As described above, the parentalcontrol limits may have been stored in the customer profile at step 708.An initial list of media content may then be determined at step 804. Theinitial list may include a list of available media articles that aredistributable from an article dispensing machine 230. Determining a listof available media articles is discussed in more detail below withreference to FIG. 11. The initial list may also include a list ofavailable media selections from a content provider, where theavailability of the media selections is based on an access permission ina customer subscription. Determining a list of available mediaselections is discussed in more detail below with reference to FIG. 12.The initial list of media content may be determined at step 804 inresponse to a search request, browsing request, or other request relatedto finding media content.

At step 805, it is determined whether any of the retrieved parentalcontrol limits are in conflict with one another, such as when parentalcontrol limits from different content providers are set differently. Ifthere is a conflict, then at step 811, the conflicts may be resolved sothat the most restrictive parental control limit takes precedence. Theuser can also be informed that there are conflicting parental controllimits. For example, if the parental control setting from contentprovider A denotes that R-rated movies are allowed to be viewed, but theparental control setting from content provider B denotes that only PG-13movies are allowed to be viewed, then the parental control setting fromcontent provider B would take precedence because it is more restrictive.Following step 811, the process 710 continues to step 806. The process710 also continues to step 806 if there are no parental control limitsin conflict at step 805.

At step 806, the parental control limits retrieved at step 802 areexamined to determine if any of the parental control limits are relatedto restricting viewing of media content, such as a television contentrating, a film content rating, a video game content rating, a channellock, a title restriction, an actor restriction, a time of daylimitation, or a functionality limitation. If any of the parentalcontrol limits are related to restricting viewing of media content atstep 806, then the applicable parental control limits can be applied toremove the relevant pieces of media content from the initial list atstep 812. For example, if a piece of media content in the initial list,such as a television program, is rated TV-14 and the parental controllimits in the customer profile include a television content rating limitthat prohibits viewing of media content that is rated TV-14 or TV-MA,then that piece of media content will be removed from the initial list.However, if a piece of media content in the initial list is rated TV-Y,TV-Y7, TV-Y7-FV, TV-G, or TV-PG, then that piece of media content willnot be removed from the initial list. As another example, if theparental control limits include a channel lock limit that prohibitsviewing of the Showtime cable channel, then any media content in theinitial list that are shown on Showtime will be removed. As a furtherexample, if the parental control limits include a title restriction thatprohibits viewing media content with a title that matches “HarryPotter”, then any media content in the initial list that matches thetitle restriction will be removed. Following step 812, the process 710continues to step 808.

The process 710 also continues to step 808 if no parental control limitsare related to restricting viewing of media content at step 806. At step808, it is determined whether any of the parental control limitsretrieved at step 802 relates to restricting the description of mediacontent. Such parental control limits include a do not list restriction,a content description restriction, or a metadata display restriction. Ifany of the parental control limits are related to restricting thedescription of media content at step 808, then the applicable parentalcontrol limits can be applied to modify the pieces of media content fromthe initial list at step 814. For example, if a parental control limitis a do not list restriction that prohibits the listing of media contentthat is in the horror genre, then any media content in the initial listthat is in the horror genre will be removed at step 814. As anotherexample, if a parental control limit is a metadata display restrictionthat prohibits viewing of metadata related to adult content, then thedescription of any media content in the initial list that matches thisrestriction can be changed so that “Adult Content” is displayed insteadof the original description of the media content. The process 710continues to step 810 following step 814.

The process 710 also continues to step 810 if no parental control limitsare related to restricting the description of media content at step 808.At step 810, any other parental control limits that are in the customerprofile are applied, such as a time limitation or a purchase limitation.The media content from the initial list that has not been removed atstep 812, had its description modified at step 814, or was subject toother parental control limits at step 810, can be included in a filteredlist that is transmitted at step 712. The filtered list may betransmitted in place of the initial list. In some embodiments, onceauthenticated to a content provider, the central controller 302 mayperiodically query the content provider in order to detect any changesin the parental control limits at that content provider. If a change inthe parental control limits is detected, the customer profile in thecustomer profile database 404 may be updated with the change.

An embodiment of a process 900 for modifying access to media contentbased on parental control limits in a customer profile stored in thecustomer profile database 404 is shown in FIG. 9. The process 900 canresult in the modification of access to media content, such as physicalmedia articles and digital media selections, based on parental controllimits in the customer profile that have previously been retrieved fromone or more content providers. As described above, parental controllimits may include, but are not limited to, a television content rating,a film content rating, a video game content rating, a channel lock, atitle restriction, an actor restriction, a time limitation, a time ofday limitation, a functionality limitation, a purchase limitation, a donot list restriction, a content description restriction, or a metadatadisplay restriction.

At step 902, a unique customer identifier may be received by the centralcontroller 302. The central controller 302 can match the unique customeridentifier to a particular customer profile in the customer profiledatabase 404. The unique customer identifier could be a credit or debitcard number processed through a hash function. The hashed credit ordebit card number can be used to look up a customer profile in thecustomer profile database 404. The unique customer identifier could alsobe a username and/or password to access the customer profile in thecustomer profile database 404. The unique customer identifier may bereceived from an article dispensing machine 230 or an applicationrunning on an electronic device 306 or A/V display interface 309.

At step 904, the central controller 302 can authenticate to a customerprofile in the customer profile database 404 using the unique customeridentifier. The parental control limits in the customer profile may beretrieved at step 906. The parental control limits may have previouslybeen stored in the customer profile by using the process 700 describedabove, for example. Each set of the parental control limits maycorrespond to one or more content providers. The parental control limitsat the content provider may be specific to the type of media contentprovided by the content provider.

At step 908, access to the media content may be modified based on theparental control limits in the customer profile. An embodiment of step908 in the process 900 is shown in FIG. 10. At step 1002, parentalcontrol limits can be retrieved from the customer profile. As describedabove, the customer profile may have been authenticated to with theunique customer identifier at step 904. An initial access list of mediacontent may be determined at step 1004. The initial access list mayinclude a list of available media articles that are distributable froman article dispensing machine 230. Determining a list of available mediaarticles is discussed in more detail below with reference to FIG. 11.The initial access list may also include a list of available mediaselections from a content provider, where the availability of the mediaselections is based on an access permission in a customer subscription.Determining a list of available media selections is discussed in moredetail below with reference to FIG. 12. The initial access list of mediacontent may be determined at step 1004 in response to a search request,browsing request, or other request related to finding media content.

At step 1006, the parental control limits retrieved at step 1002 areexamined to determine if any of the parental control limits are relatedto restricting viewing of media content, such as a television contentrating, a film content rating, a video game content rating, a channellock, a title restriction, an actor restriction, a time of daylimitation, or a functionality limitation. If any of the parentalcontrol limits are related to restricting viewing of media content atstep 1006, then viewing of the pieces of media content from the initialaccess list that violate the applicable parental control limits can berestricted at step 1012. For example, if a video game in the initialaccess list is rated T and the parental control limits in the customerprofile include a video game content rating limit that restricts accessto video games that is rated T, M, or AO, then access to view orinteract with that video game will be modified. The access to the videogame could be prohibited or subject to approval by a parent, forexample. However, if a video game in the initial access list is ratedEC, E, or E10+, then there will be unrestricted access to that videogame. As another example, if the parental control limits include anactor restriction that restricts media content starring the actorCharlie Sheen, then access to view any media content in the initialaccess list that matches the actor restriction will be restricted.Restricting access to media content may include prohibiting all or someaccess to that particular piece of media content. Following step 1012,the process 908 continues to step 1008.

The process 908 also continues to step 1008 if no parental controllimits are related to restricting viewing of media content at step 1006.At step 1008, it is determined whether any of the parental controllimits retrieved at step 1002 relate to restricting the description ofmedia content. Such parental control limits include a do not listrestriction, a content description restriction, or a metadata displayrestriction. If any of the parental control limits are related torestricting the description of media content at step 1008, then thepieces of media content from the initial access list that violate theapplicable parental control limits can be modified at step 1014. Forexample, if a parental control limit is a content descriptionrestriction that restricts or prohibits listing a description of mediacontent with the keyword “profanity”, then the descriptions of thepieces of media content that match that keyword will be modified at step1014. The process 908 continues to step 1010 following step 1014. Theprocess 908 also continues to step 1010 if no parental control limitsare related to restricting the description of media content at step1008. At step 1010, any other parental control limits that are in thecustomer profile are applied, such as a time limitation or a purchaselimitation.

An embodiment of determining availability of physical media articles isshown in the process 1100 of FIG. 11. The process 1100 may beimplemented as step 804 of FIG. 8 or step 1004 of FIG. 10 if the mediacontent is a physical media article that may be available at an articledispensing machine 230. The process 1100 may be performed alone or inaddition to the process 1200 described below. At step 1102, the locationof one or more article dispensing machines 230 can be determined. Thelocation(s) of the article dispensing machines 230 can be determinedbased on geographic proximity to the location where the customer or useris located, such as based on the address of the customer in the customerprofile database 404. The article dispensing machine 230 locations couldalso be determined based on a location that is manually entered by auser. The locations of the article dispensing machines 230 that areclosest to the originating location may then be determined. Thelocations may be limited by a radius, city, town, zip code, or otherlimitation. The location of one or more specific article dispensingmachines 230 may also be input by a user at step 1102.

At step 1104, the inventory database 412 can be queried to determinewhether the media article is available at the locations of the articledispensing machines 230 determined at step 1102. If the media article isavailable at one or more article dispensing machines 230 at step 1106,then at step 1108, the locations of those article dispensing machines230 can be stored for use as the initial list determined at step 804 inthe process 710, or as the initial access list determined at step 1004in the process 908. However, if the media articles are not available atany article dispensing machine 230 at step 1106, then no availablelocations can be stored at step 1110.

An embodiment of determining availability of digital media selections isshown in the process 1200 of FIG. 12, including determination of anassociated content provider and the availability of the media selectionsat the associated content provider. The process 1200 may be implementedas step 804 of FIG. 8 or step 1004 of FIG. 10 if the media content is adigital media selection that may be available at a content provider. Theprocess 1200 may be performed alone or in addition to the process 1100described above. At step 1202, a unique customer identifier may bereceived by the central controller 302. The central controller 302 canmatch the unique customer identifier to a particular customer profile inthe customer profile database 404. The unique customer identifier couldbe a credit or debit card number processed through a hash function. Thehashed credit or debit card number can be used to look up a customerprofile in the customer profile database 404. The unique customeridentifier may also include a customer-provided identification of theassociated content provider. The customer could also provide whatcontent providers they are associated with, and optionally provide thespecific subscription package they subscribe to, instead of providing acredit card number or account number. If step 1202 is being implementedas part of the process 908 (as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10), then step 1202may be omitted if a unique customer identifier has already been receivedat step 902. The unique customer identifier could also be a usernameand/or password to access the customer profile in the customer profiledatabase 404. The unique customer identifier may be received from anarticle dispensing machine 230 or an application running on anelectronic device 306 or A/V display interface 309.

At step 1206, the central controller 302 can determine whether there isan associated content provider linked to the customer profile found atstep 1204. The customer profile in the customer profile database 404 maycontain a linkage to an associated content provider. If there is not acontent provider associated with the customer profile at step 1206 or ifno unique customer identifier is found in the customer profile database404 at step 1204, the customer may provide the linkages of contentproviders at step 1208. The customer profile in the customer profiledatabase 404 can include information obtained from the content providercustomer profile database 502 in the content provider backend 308, suchas an account number, email address, subscription information, and otherinformation related to the customer's content provider customer profile.

If there is a content provider associated with the customer identifierat step 1206, the process continues to step 1210 where subscriptioninformation at the content provider for the customer is retrieved fromthe customer profile database 404. The customer profile database 404 maycontain subscription and entitlement information that was previouslyreceived from the content provider customer profile database 502 in thecontent provider backend 308. Subscription information at the contentprovider can include the customer's subscribed service package, premiumchannel content the customer entitled to access, zip code and addressfor possible geographical content restrictions, parental authorizationand controls for age authentication, and other subscriber information.The subscription information may be used by the central controller 302at step 1212 when determining the availability of media selections forthe customer at particular content providers. Step 1210 is alsoperformed following step 1208 when a customer has entered a linkage to acontent provider.

At step 1212, the central controller 302 determines whether the mediaselections are available at a content provider that is linked to thecustomer. In addition to determining whether the media selections areavailable at a linked content provider, the central controller 302 candetermine at step 1212 whether the customer has permission to access themedia selection based on the subscription information in the customerprofile database 404 that was previously obtained at step 1210.

A customer may be entitled to access a digital media selection for free,such as when the media selection is already available within thecustomer's subscription package, or when the media selection is publiclyavailable. In other cases, a customer may only have access to a mediaselection by providing additional payment, such as when the customer'ssubscription package does not allow access to the media selection orwhen the media selection is only available at an a la carte contentprovider. For example, if the customer's subscription package allowsaccess to Home Box Office (HBO) content and the media selection isavailable through HBO, then the customer will have access to the mediaselection without additional payment. As another example, if thecustomer's subscription package only allows access to Showtime contentand the media selection is only available through HBO, then the customerwill not have access to the media selection. In this case, the customermay have the option to upgrade their subscription package to include HBOor utilize an a la carte content provider for an additional payment. Asa further example, if the customer is a Comcast subscriber and the mediaselection is available as a free video-on-demand selection on Comcast,then the customer will have access to the media selection withoutadditional payment. However, if the media selection is only availablethrough Hulu Plus, then the customer will not have access to the mediaselection unless the customer provides additional payment.

Therefore, if the media selection is available at a linked contentprovider at step 1212, then at step 1214, the media selections andassociated content providers can be stored as the initial listdetermined at step 804 in the process 710, or as the initial access listdetermined at step 1004 in the process 908. If the media selection isnot available at a linked content provider at step 1212, then thecentral controller 302 can obtain other content provider options, ifany, at step 1216. Other content provider options may include a la cartecontent providers such as Amazon Instant Video, iTunes Store, YouTube,VUDU, and other services that allow a user to individually purchasemedia without requiring a subscription. Further content provider optionsthat may be obtained at step 1216 include retailers that grant rights toa digital media selection in conjunction with the purchase of a physicalitem (e.g., Best Buy, Walmart, etc.), movie studios, televisionnetworks, video game developers, and online gaming delivery services(Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, OnLive, etc.). For example, a videogame may be available from an online gaming delivery service fordownload, such as from Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network, or forstreaming, such as from OnLive. If other content providers are availablefor the media selection, the media selection and the associated a lacarte content provider(s) may be stored at step 1214.

Any process descriptions or blocks in figures should be understood asrepresenting modules, segments, or portions of code which include one ormore executable instructions for implementing specific logical functionsor steps in the process, and alternate implementations are includedwithin the scope of the embodiments of the present invention in whichfunctions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed,including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending onthe functionality involved, as would be understood by those havingordinary skill in the art.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of thepresent invention, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, arepossible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clearunderstanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations andmodifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of theinvention without substantially departing from the spirit and principlesof the invention. All such modifications are intended to be includedherein within the scope of this disclosure and the present invention andprotected by the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of accessing media content basedon at least one of a plurality of parental control limits in a customerprofile, the customer profile stored in a customer profile databaseconnected to a second content provider processor of a second contentprovider independent from and not affiliated with a first contentprovider, the method comprising: receiving a unique customer identifierat the second content provider processor of the second content providerfor accessing a first parental control limit stored in a second customerprofile within a second customer profile database within a second memoryassociated with the second content provider processor; wherein the firstparental control limit was previously imported from a first memoryassociated with a first content provider processor for the first contentprovider; authenticating to the second customer profile based on theunique customer identifier; retrieving the first parental control limitfrom the second customer profile, wherein the first parental controllimit was imported from the first content provider and generated at thefirst content provider by a customer associated with the first andsecond customer profiles prior to being imported; and, filtering themedia content based on the first parental control limit stored withinthe second customer profile to produce a filtered list of the mediacontent; and, modifying access to the media content based on the firstparental control limit, comprising: retrieving the first parentalcontrol limit from the second customer profile; and determining aninitial access list of the media content, wherein the initial accesslist comprises the media content prior to application of the firstparental control limit; and restricting access to the media content onthe initial access list that is restricted by the first parental controllimit, comprising modifying a description of the media content, if thefirst parental control limit restricts viewing the description of themedia content.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the pluralityof the first parental control limits comprises one or more of atelevision content rating, a film content rating, a video game contentrating, a channel lock, a title restriction, an actor restriction, atime limitation, a time of day limitation, a functionality limitation, apurchase limitation, a do not list restriction, a content descriptionrestriction, or a metadata display restriction.
 3. The method of claim1, further comprising: receiving authentication information for each ofa plurality of content providers; authenticating to each of theplurality of content providers based on the received authenticationinformation; receiving a plurality of parental control limits from eachof the plurality of content providers; and storing the plurality ofparental control limits received from each of the plurality of contentproviders in the second customer profile.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein restricting access of the media content on the initial accesslist comprises restricting viewing of the media content, if the firstparental control limits restricts viewing of the media content.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein: the media content comprises a media articledistributable from an article dispensing machine, wherein the mediaarticle comprises at least one of a digital video disc, a Blu-ray disc,or a video game; and determining the initial access list comprisesquerying an inventory database for availability of the media article atthe article dispensing machine, the inventory database connected to theprocessor.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein: the media contentcomprises a media selection at the first content provider, wherein themedia selection comprises at least one of a video on demand, a streamingvideo, a downloadable video, a streaming video game, or a downloadablevideo game; and determining the initial access list comprisesdetermining an availability of the media selection based on an accesspermission for the media selection in a customer subscription for one ofthe plurality of the first content providers.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising receiving the unique customer identifier from one ormore of an article dispensing machine, an electronic device, and an A/Vdisplay interface.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:detecting a change in any of the plurality of parental control limits atthe first content provider; and, updating the plurality of parentalcontrol limits in the customer profile with the detected change in anyof the plurality of parental control limits.
 9. A system for interfacingwith a first content provider processor and memory associated with afirst content provider, and for accessing media content based on atleast one of a plurality of parental control limits, comprising: asecond content provider processor and memory associated with a secondcontent provider, wherein a second customer profile is stored in acustomer profile database within the second content provider memoryconnected to the second content provider processor of the second contentprovider independent from and not affiliated with a first contentprovider, wherein computer program code stored in the second contentprovider memory is configured to: receive a unique customer identifierfor accessing a first parental control limit stored in the secondcustomer profile within the second customer profile database within thesecond memory associated with the second content provider processor;wherein the first parental control limit was previously imported fromthe first content provider memory associated with the first contentprovider processor for the first content provider; authenticate to thesecond customer profile based on the unique customer identifier;retrieve the first parental control limit from the second customerprofile, wherein the first parental control limit was imported from thefirst content provider and generated at the first content provider by acustomer associated with the first and second customer profiles prior tobeing imported; and, filter the media content based on the firstparental control limit stored within the second customer profile toproduce a filtered list of the media content; and, modify access to themedia content based on the first parental control limit, furtherconfigured to: retrieve the first parental control limit from the secondcustomer profile; determine an initial access list of the media content,wherein the initial access list comprises the media content prior toapplication of the first parental control limit; and restrict access tothe media content on the initial access list that is restricted by thefirst parental control limit, further configured to modify a descriptionof the media content if the first parental control limit restrictsviewing the description of the media content.
 10. The system of claim 9,wherein each of the plurality of the first parental control limitscomprises one or more of a television content rating, a film contentrating, a video game content rating, a channel lock, a titlerestriction, an actor restriction, a time limitation, a time of daylimitation, a functionality limitation, a purchase limitation, a do notlist restriction, a content description restriction, or a metadatadisplay restriction.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computerprogram code stored in the second content provider memory is furtherconfigured to: receive authentication information for each of aplurality of content providers; authenticate to each of the plurality ofcontent providers based on the received authentication information;receive a plurality of parental control limits from each of theplurality of content providers; and store the plurality of parentalcontrol limits received from each of the plurality of content providersin the second customer profile.
 12. The system of claim 9, wherein thecomputer program code which restricts access of the media content on theinitial access list is further configured to: restrict viewing of themedia content, if the first parental control limits restricts viewing ofthe media content.
 13. The system of claim 9, wherein the media contentcomprises a media article distributable from an article dispensingmachine, wherein the media article comprises at least one of a digitalvideo disc, a Blu-ray disc, or a video game; and wherein the computerprogram code which determines the initial access list is furtherconfigured to: query an inventory database for availability of the mediaarticle at the article dispensing machine, the inventory databaseconnected to the second content provider processor.
 14. The system ofclaim 9, wherein the media content comprises a media selection at thefirst content provider, wherein the media selection comprises at leastone of a video on demand, a streaming video, a downloadable video, astreaming video game, or a downloadable video game; and wherein thecomputer program code which determines the initial access list isfurther configured to: determine an availability of the media selectionbased on an access permission for the media selection in a customersubscription for one of the plurality of the first content providers.15. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer program code stored inthe second content provider memory is further configured to receive theunique customer identifier from one or more of an article dispensingmachine, an electronic device, and an A/V display interface.
 16. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein computer program code stored in the secondcontent provider memory is further configured to: receive a detection ofa change in any of the plurality of parental control limits at the firstcontent provider; and, update the plurality of parental control limitsin the customer profile with the detected change in any of the pluralityof parental control limits.